In certain situations, a user (which can be a commercial entity, for example, as well as an individual), acquires computing equipment, including hardware and/or peripheral devices, from a supplier, and the user requests periodic servicing of the hardware and/or peripheral devices, as part of a maintenance agreement. Periodic servicing can be based on regular intervals (such as every six months). However, for peripheral devices where use of the device can vary over time (such, as for example, a printer), it is desirable to base the periodic servicing on the amount of usage of the device, such that when a certain level of usage has occurred, servicing of the peripheral device is recommended. It is, therefore, useful for the supplier to be able to track usage of the hardware and peripheral devices to know when servicing is due.
In other situations, a user can be provided with computing equipment, including hardware and/or peripheral devices, from a supplier under an equipment supply agreement, whereby the supplier continues to own the computing equipment, but provides the equipment to the user on a use-based basis. In such situations, the user is periodically invoiced by the supplier based, at least in part, on the usage of the equipment. Typically, such invoicing is performed at regular periodic intervals.
In such a case, it is thus useful for the supplier to be able to track usage of the equipment to, therefore, know the amount to invoice the user. For example, a supplier can provide a user with imaging devices such as, for example, printers, photocopiers, facsimile machines, and combination devices (known as “multi-function-peripherals”, or “MFPs”).
The agreement between the user and the supplier can provide that the user will pay the supplier a predetermined amount for every copy printed by the user using the imaging devices. Further, the agreement can provide that the supplier will supply the user with consumables (such as paper, ink, toner, etc.) consumed by the imaging devices based on the consumption or usage of such consumables. Such agreements can include payment terms whereby the user agrees to pay the supplier a monthly amount based, at least in part, on the usage of the imaging devices during the month, as well as the consumables used during the month. The supplier, therefore, needs to be able to track usage of the imaging devices, and consumables consumed, on a periodic basis to, therefore, provide an accurate monthly invoice to the user.
Even where there is no maintenance and/or supply agreement in place between a user of peripheral devices and the supplier of the peripheral devices, it can be useful for the user to periodically track usage of peripheral devices (including imaging devices) for internal audit purposes, as well as other purposes. In such case it is desirable for the user to be able to collectively track the use of all such devices within a particular office or department.
What is needed then is a convenient way to track usage of computer equipment and peripheral devices.